In tight markets, many elite-status professional service firms find themselves at a branding crossroads. The question: If the party is over and cheap is the new chic, is it time to leverage our exclusive brand with low-cost service lines to the masses? If Martha Stewart can create products for Kmart, why can’t we appeal to the low-cost buyer too?

It’s very tempting to jump into these uncharted waters thinking that high-end marketing tactics work in lower-end markets. This is also known as jumping out of the pan and into the fire. It’s like playing baseball with the winning plays you’ve used in your prestigious football career. Bottom line: the similarities between buyers, tools, and tactics in both worlds are superficial. Therefore, you have to bring different skills and play by different rules if you want to win.

These worlds look similar but are really parallel universes. Here are the big differences between the buyers and tools you need to reach them. Armed with this information, you can decide if mass markets are right for you.

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